As part of the Miami Marlins¡¯ Fourth of July festivities at loanDepot park, the Marlins hosted an on-field joint enlistment ceremony with the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). This pre-game ceremony consisted of more than 50 of South Florida¡¯s finest U.S. Army, Air Force, and Marine recruits taking the oath of enlistment while standing in center field.

Major General Scott Jackson of the U.S. Army, who administered Thursday¡¯s oath and has been involved with many enlistment ceremonies over the years, believed that this one was extra special.

¡°To have a chance to recognize [the enlistees] and the start of their careers, particularly on the Fourth of July, the birth of our nation, this is a great confluence of all sorts of great themes,¡± said Major General Jackson. ¡°It¡¯s a great event on a great stage. Having thousands of people watch someone enlist, what more memorable occasion could you have?¡±

This sentiment aligns with what Angela Smith, Marlins Senior Director of Community Impact, hoped the event would accomplish.

¡°For the enlistees, this is a moment that they¡¯re going to remember for the rest of their lives, and I think it¡¯s really great to have the backdrop of that memory be loanDepot park,¡± said Smith. ¡°I think it¡¯s important from a club standpoint that we show our support to young people who are enlisting in the military and make this a special day for them.¡±

Between the ceremony¡¯s date and setting, a day to remember is exactly what the enlistees received.

¡°It¡¯s not the average enlistment ceremony,¡± said Sergio Baldivieso, U.S. Army enlistee. ¡°This is a really great opportunity for us, and I¡¯m really proud to be here. It¡¯s definitely a memory that I¡¯m going to hold dear to myself for a long time.¡±

Jade Garcia, U.S. Air Force enlistee, added, ¡°It was very inspirational because it¡¯s the Fourth of July, we¡¯re celebrating America, and we got this amazing experience to do this in front of thousands of people and show them that we¡¯re dedicated to fight for our country.¡±

As Major General Jackson put it, the enlistees ¡°signed a blank check for our nation,¡± so having the chance to see the immediate impact of doing so was not lost on anyone involved.

¡°These individuals get to go out [on the field] and feel the full impact of the significance that they have towards the United States,¡± said Sergeant First Class Reychell Zuniga of the U.S. Army. ¡°What I think they¡¯re going to remember is the faces that they see in the crowd and the emotions that cross those faces. They¡¯re going to see how proud complete strangers are of them and the decision that they made.¡±

When Garcia reflected on the experience and what her lasting memory will be from the day, Sergeant First Class Zuniga was proven correct.

¡°It has to be the people celebrating [what we did] and thanking us for our service,¡± said Garcia. ¡°That was very inspirational because they are thankful that we¡¯re going to do something for our country.¡±

For Smith and the Marlins, the enlistees getting to experience those feelings is what the event was all about.

¡°I think it¡¯s important on our nation¡¯s Independence Day to really highlight our military and give our fans the opportunity to show their appreciation and celebrate the men and women that serve our country,¡± she said.